| Crime committed by emerging adults in North America is increasing, along with reports of recidivism. Although there is no known cause of offending, current literature suggests that personality pathology, specifically borderline personality disorder (BPD), may be an underlying factor, as many emerging adults entering the justice system present with emotional, cognitive, and behavioural problems symptomatic of BPD. With the latter in mind, the purposes of this study were fourfold: (1) assess for BPD features dimensionally using multiple valid measures among a male and female emerging adult sample with and without an offender history; (2) compare BPD features and associated psychopathology across both emerging adults with and without offender histories; (3) explore the relationship between BPD features, abuse history, types of criminal offenses, number of criminal offenses, and demographic information in the group with an offender history; and (4) examine potential predictors of offender status. Participants included 187 emerging adults comprising two groups; a group with a history of offending (n = 43) and a group without a history of offending (n = 144). History of offending was operationalized as a self-reported history of an arrested or charged criminal offense. Results demonstrated that BPD features, specifically affect dysregulation, negative relationships, and self-harm, were significantly more elevated in the group with a history of offending than the group without as indicated by two specific BPD measures (Personality Assessment Inventory; Borderline Evaluation of Severity Over Time). In addition, associated BPD symptomatology and psychopathology (i.e., impulsivity, paranoia, state anxiety, substance problems, and aggression) were also significantly more elevated in the group with an offender history than the group without. Participants with a history of offending were significantly more likely to have experienced some type of abuse. Within the group with an offender history, clinical levels of BPD features were not associated with an increased history of abuse, number of arrested/charged offenses, or type of offense committed. Lastly, BPD features were a statistically significant predictor of offender status, however, the relationship was mediated by substance problems and a history of abuse. Overall, the current findings offer empirical evidence to support the notion that BPD features are more prominent among individuals with a history of offending than those without. Further, results suggest that in a heterogeneous group of participants with a self-disclosed offender history, BPD features are not associated with a specific type of offense or number of offenses. Rather, the relationship between BPD and offending may lie in the process of committing the criminal act itself rather than the type of act. Further exploration of BPD features among emerging adult offenders is required, specifically within a large incarcerated sample. Although the findings are preliminary, the current findings may have important clinical implications for both the assessment and treatment of BPD symptoms within incarcerated criminal populations. |
